1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to protecting carrier pipes, and more particularly relates to a method and apparatus for enclosing carrier pipes within a casement.
2. Background Information
There are numerous dangers from leaking carrier pipes (oil, gas, chemical, etc. lines). What is needed is an easy and economical way of adding a casing pipe to an existing carrier pipe. The present invention solves these needs.
Throughout the United States and the world, many different types of fluids are transported through pipelines from one location to another. Examples of such fluids include petroleum products and other compounds that pose environmental risks if accidentally spilled into the environment. For instance, when an oil pipeline breaks, the resulting oil can pour into the environment creating an area which must be both contained and cleaned up in order to return the area to its prior environmental condition. As such, due to these potential environmental impacts as well as the potential for human harm, it is becoming more and more frequent that pipelines are required to be encased within a protective casing for containing/controlling the environmental impact of a leakage. On pipelines that have been laid that do not have such a casing, such casings are being retrofitted thereupon.
The main prior art way of encasing a carrier pipe is through encasing the carrier pipe with steel pipe. In doing so, a length of steel pipe is taken to the location of the carrier pipe, where an individual will then, using a torch or other equipment, cut the steel casing pipe in half thereby providing a pair of shells. These two shells will then be placed over the carrier pipe (preferably with spacers) and then a welder will be used to weld the two halves of the steel casing pipes back together thereby forming an encasement.
There are many problems with casing pipes in such a manner, including but not limited to, the weight of the metal pipe (additional costs associated with it in transporting the steel pipe to a work site) and labor (a considerable amount of labor goes into splitting the pipe and handling the pipe, as well as welding the pipe back together).
A number of prior art patents show various other (other than the split steel pipe method) methods of attempting to overcome the difficulties in the prior art. For instance, the patent to Young (U.S. Pat. No. 3,863,679) shows a pipeline assembly comprising a pipeline safety casing for encasing a carrier pipe. The Young safety casing comprises a pair of shells into which the carrier pipe is inserted. These shells having exterior flanges which are configured for bolting together.
The patent to Plunkett (U.S. Pat. No. 2,741,268) shows a frost casing for the use on encasing laser pipes and elevated water tanks. The Plunkett casings shows casings which are generally semi-wing shaped, wherein opposing ends are configured with holes therethrough for allowing them to be bolted together or butted against one another and overlap.
What is needed is a more cost effective manner of encasing a carrier pipe. Embodiments of the present invention solve this need.
Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.